Pink and Say

Pink and Say
Written and Illustrated by: Patricia Polacco
Published by: Philomel Books 1994 
Grades: 4-6
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis: This book tells the story of how Pinkus saved and helped a wounded Union soldier of a different race, Sheldon, during the Civil War.  After being nursed back to health by Pinkus’ African American mother, the two boys became friends.  After a run in with the Confederates, Pinkus’ mother was killed and the two boys were sent to a Confederate concentration camp.  Sheldon survived, but nothing was heard from Pinkus. 

Theme/Skill: Civil War, Courage and Honor, Friendship

About the Author and Illustrator: Patricia Polacco 

Patricia was born in Lansing, Michigan, in 1944.  She lived on a farm with her mother and grandparents until she was five.  During this time, she spent the school year with her mom and summer with her dads since they were divorced.  She then moved to Coral Gables, Florida and then to Oakland, California where she lived 37 years of her life.  Patricia did not learn how to read until she was almost 14 years old.  At this age she also was diagnosed with dyslexia.  She did go onto college and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts and a Ph.D. in Art History.  At first, she restored ancient pieces of art at museums and then spent most of her time as the mother of her two children.  It wasn’t until she was 41 that she started writing children’s books.  She has written books including, Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln, The Junk Yard Wonders, and For the Love of Autumn.  She currently lives in Union City, Michigan. 
Source used:  http://www.patriciapolacco.com/author/bio/bio.html

Pre-Reading Activities:  Bring in the Union and the Confederate flag and have students look at them.  Brainstorm what these two flags represent and what event they are associated with.  Talk about the Civil War and make a chart comparing the two sides of the war, the Union side and the Confederate side. 

Union and Confederate Flag:  http://www.wtv-zone.com/civilwar/flags.html

Post-Reading Activities:  Have students write in their journal a letter pretending to be Pinkus or Sheldon.  In this letter they will describe how they would feel if they were either of the boys and relate it to the Civil War, by including what they learned about it after they express their thoughts.  This letter will have to include 3 facts and be at least two paragraphs long.  They must use letter format with a heading and a closing.

Lesson plans: t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/cbl/images/.../s%20-%20pink%20and%20say.docSimilar
Reflection: This book is very deep in the content and emotion that it is protraying based on the Civil War and the experiences these two boys have to go through. It is shown through the words and especially the pictures the significance of the Civil War and what happened during it. I think students will understand most of what she is trying to get across, while others may not understand some points she is trying to make. The pictures of the faces grab the emotion in it that I think will help students understand a little more. This book does a great job helping teachers explain what the Civil War was to young children so they can try to understand the history of their country. 

Freedom River

Freedom River
Written by: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier
Published by: Hyperion Books for Children 2000
Grades: 2-6
Genre: Historical Fiction, Biography
Coretta Scott King Award 

Synopsis: This historical fiction book tells the story of a man, John Parker, and his fight for freedom.  At night John Parker, would cross the river from Ohio into Kentucky to save slaves and send them up North.  This was very dangerous but he had tremendous courage, careful planning, and faith which made it successful.  For one family in particular, he used his determination to help them escape from slavery along the Underground Railroad. 

Theme/Skill: Underground Railroad, Slavery, African American History, Courage, Honor. Poetry

About the Author: Doreen Rappaport

Doreen was born and raised in New York City. Doreen went to Brandeis University and majored in music. After she graduated she taught music and reading for seven years in New Rochelle, New York in junior high schools. In 1965, she taught at a freedom school in McComb, Mississippi. While she was there, she met many African American who were deprived of rights that she took for granted. As a result of this, she decided to set out and write about unknown heroes that have fought for their rights. She wanted to write about this lost history that she did not know of. Doreen loves to travel, cook, garden, visit schools, and talk to children. She now resides in New York City and Copake Falls, New York with her husband.

Source used: http://www.doreenrappaport.com

Pre-Reading Activities: Play a tape about life in the 1800s and the Underground Railroad.  Have students draw a picture about their feelings that they get when they listen to the tape.  Give students an outline on the Underground Railroad and slavery.  Teach facts about which states believed in slavery and which did not during that time period.  Show pictures to go along with the outlines as well.

Underground Railroad video:  http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=19374

Pictures and information: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/

Post-Reading Activities:  As a whole class we will use a map of the United States and we will color code it by having students come up to color in which states believed in slavery and which did not.  Then individually have the students contribute in making a river bulletin board, by cutting up the river into pieces.  On each piece a student would write a fact about the Underground Railroad or slavery.  The river would be pieced together and become the “Freedom River” bulletin board. 

Map of free and slave states:  http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/geography/slavery_abolition_us.htm

About the Underground Railroad: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html

Reflection: I think this book helps capture the significant importance of the Underground Railroad and people who took risks like John Parker.  It is hard to explain things like this to elementary school children without books like Freedom River which help explain it to them in a simple way through a story.  I love how the pictures in watercolors are used to show the emotion and the actions of John Parker.  I think this book is very informative yet has a message drawn throughout it that says with determination and struggle you can help others and make a difference. 

Domitila

Domitila
Written by: Jewell Reinhart Coburn
Illustrated by:  Connie McLennan
Published by: Shen Books 2000
Grades: 2-4
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fiction, Multicultural

Synopsis: Coburn adapted the story of Cinderella and put a Mexican tradition twist on it.  Domitila works as a cook in the governor’s house to raise money for her father and sick mother.  She cooks her famous nopales for Timoteo, but unexpectedly needs to leave because her mother dies.  Timoteo searches for her because he knows she is the one and they end up living happily ever after.

Theme/Skill: Themes such as work, poverty, death, and love.  It talks also about the Mexican tradition.  It deals with skills such as sequence, cause and effect, analyzing story elements.

About the Author: Jewell Reinhart Coburn

Coburn has many experiences with diverse cultures since she has studied and lived abroad.  Coburn has a doctorate in Higher Education administration and two honorary degrees.  Not only has she written Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition but also two other books similar to this including Angkat, The Cambodian Cinderella and Jouanah: La Cenicienta Hmong.  She currently lives in Santa Barbara, California with her husband Bill.

Source used: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/88708.Jewell_Reinhart_Coburn

 

About the Illustrator: Connie McLennan

Connie grew up in Yreka, California.  She started painting and drawing at an early age by working on projects with her mother constantly.  She graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a degree in journalism.  Then she attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco.  She worked as a freelance illustrator in 1982 and then illustrated for advertising, institutional and editorial projects, and illustrated for 13 children’s books.  She attended painting workshops to better enhance her illustrations. 

Source used: http://ckmclen.fineartstudioonline.com/about

                                            
Pre-Reading Activities:  In order to start off on a more simple idea, students will compare and contrast an apple and orange.  As a whole-group students will create a Venn Diagram taking turns coming up to the board and writing down something similar or different in the correct place.  Explain that just like comparing an apple and an orange you can also compare different versions of books and movies to one another.  Explain you will compare the American Version of Cinderella to a Mexican version entitled Domitila.  We will then watch the movie Cinderella and map out the main ideas of it. 

Post-Reading Activities:  After we read Domitila, we will map out the main ideas of it just like we did for Cinderella.  Both charts will be hung up in front of the class side by side for each child to see. Then in small groups, children will look at both charts, and compare and contrast the two versions using a Venn Diagram.  Students will come together when they are finished and share with the entire class. This can also be expanded by drawing further upon cultures by seeing how they are similar and different. 

Reflection: I love this story and how students and the audience can make connections from this book to other books, especially to the traditional version, Cinderella. I think it is a good story to work on story elements with children especially characters, setting, plot, climax, and resolution. Although it is a lengthier story, a teacher could break it down into different parts for students to read. On each section, the teacher could come up with an activity to focus on. This would allow students to work on a variety of skills using the same book. I think the illustrations also help to depict the Mexican culture and the similarities and differences it has to Cinderella. I love this rendition and the connections it makes to my all time favorite fairy tale, Cinderella.

Link to further activities: http://www.hbavenues.com/highpoint/library/pdf/HP_LL_TG_B4_2.pdf

The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin
Written by: James Cross Giblin
Illustrated by: Michael Dooling
Genre: Historical Fiction, Biography, Picture Book
Grades:3-6

Synopsis: This is a biography picture book of Benjamin Franklin.  It tells his life story and explains and outlines his major accomplishments and inventions during his lifetime.  It talks about him as an eighteenth-century printer, inventor, and statesman.  It starts out when he was a ten-year old apprentice to when he was eighty-one as a delegate to the Constitutional convention.

Theme/Skill: American History, Inventors and Inventions, American Revolution, Colony Life

About the Author: James Cross Giblin

“Nonfiction books for children aged eight to twelve [give] me the opportunity to pursue my research interests, meet interesting and stimulating experts in various fields, and share my enthusiasms with a young audience.” James Cross Giblin

                                             
Giblin was born in 1933 in Cleveland Ohio and has become a prominent figure in children’s book publishing.  He has been an editor for many years at Clarion Books and he himself is an author of many nonfiction books for young readers.  He has written such books including Chimney Sweeps: Yesterday and Today, The Truth about Santa Claus, Let There Be Light: A Book about Windows, Charles A. Lindbergh:  A Human Hero, and The Life of Benjamin Franklin.  He continues to live in New York City.

For more information visit: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/james-cross-giblin-aya/

About the Illustrator: Michael Dooling     

Michael Dooling was born in 1958 and grew up in Marlton, New Jersey.  He was encouraged by his mom to draw more often which eventually led to his passion.  Dooling is an illustrator of over 50 books with a numerous amount of them being historic subjects.  He loves delving into the past and stepping back into time researching history.  Michael and his family sometimes pose as characters from his books and used as illustrations.  He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Illustration from Syracuse Univeristy in 1988.  He currently lives with his wife Jane in Audubon, New Jersey. 

For more information visit: http://www.michaeldooling.com/bio.html

Pre-Reading Activities: First, a teacher could bring in the Constitution for children to look at.  Then ask questions such as Why do you think Benjamin Franklin was so important to the history of the United States?  What do you think he did? Then with the whole class create a list of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments and explain how each of them was important.

Post-Reading Activities:  After the book has been read, we will talk about Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments.  We will talk about why the Constitution is important to us today and imagine if we were Benjamin Franklin, how we would feel about all of our accomplishments.  Then individually, students will come up with three goals they have for home and school and how they think they will accomplish them.  These will be placed around the classroom as a constant reminder for them to work hard to accomplish their goals.  Students will start a journal and take time for a few weeks to write about their accomplishment process.  When a goal is accomplished students can read to their classmates the process and what they did to achieve it. 

Reflection:  I think the author does a good job telling about both Benjamin's Franklins accomplishments and struggles. He doesn't put him in the spotlight and make him seem like he is the best man on earth but rather shows that he is human like everyone else and had some failure. I think this will help show kids that achieving things takes times and along the way you are going to endure hardships. The illustrations help to realistically depict Franklin through realistic full color paintings. Even though it is a biography, it still makes it enjoyable for children to read while learning about someone.